This invention relates generally to the field of tongue cleaning devices and more specifically to portable tongue vacuum cleaner.
It is a known fact that the human tongue can be a breeding ground for bacteria that may prove to be harmful to an individual if not removed periodically. Methods for removing bacteria from the tongue include brushing, scraping and mouthwash. However, all these techniques can still leave bacterial debris on the tongue because the tongue's surface is like a miniature deep pile carpet, and some debris remain in the deeper crevices of the tongue's surface. In dental offices, some dentists take advantage of the availability of a vacuum system normally used for removing liquid from a person's mouth, and add a vacuum scraping tool to the vacuum tube to scrape clean the patient's tongue.
Sajid Khan in his patent application 2005/0050676 describes a hand held tongue vacuum cleaner. Although Kahn describes the basic concept of using a vacuum to clean the tongue, the specific details of the device's construction and use have not been delineated in either drawing form or written form and therefore make it very difficult to imagine a device that can be reduced to practice. For example Kahn talks about dirty matter passing through into a detachable waste chamber, but does not say how or where this occurs. Additionally, there is talk of a filter to allow clean air to pass into an exhaust port but also does not show how or where this acutely occurs. Finally, there is no discussion of the shape, angle or surface characteristics of the cleaning head. Therefore, although the idea of a portable vacuum cleaner for a tongue has been shown in the prior application sited, the specific and novel mechanism for the ideal execution of this idea has not been previously described or illustrated.